The Shadowmens' Needs
by Dragon Toes
Summary: Akito has passed away, Hatori is the only one to really care. An unexpected family member shows up to comfort him. One shot, complete HaruHatori?


This fic popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone so here is a super super short fic. Weird pairing, blame sleep depravity.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket

_~~~~~Haru~~~~~~_

Why hadn't we seen this before? We were both the strong quiet ones, ready to endure whatever was dealt to us. We both suffered lost loves. Kana's memory erase, possibly now the loss of Akito. Yuki's ignorance to me due to Tohru. It fit; we were the two strange puzzle pieces that didn't appear to fit until the rest of the picture was together. 

We sat outside, me leaning back on his chest, his arms wrapped around me. His gaze was fixed on stars and faraway thoughts. Hatori was distraught tonight, Akito had just passed away. He was the only one who cried. Shigure had just looked sad. Yuki was distraught; no one could tell what he was thinking. Everyone else was indifferent, full of false sympathy. But Hatori had cried. He hadn't let anyone see him of course. He was in Akito's room, sitting on his bed staring blankly at the abandoned pink kimono. A tear was streaking down his face. I remember calling his name softly, him looking up at me in surprise.

"It's not your fault, Tori-san."

            His brown eye looked at me, a bit of shock in it. "Why do you think I think it's my fault?"

            "You're the doctor, and you are the only one who cared for him, you know that." I sounded cold, but it was the truth wasn't it? I knew I was sounding a bit cynical, I couldn't help it. I had tried to comfort Yuki who is for some reason upset, but couldn't get near him with the Honda girl around. It killed my heart again, because I knew now, I was never going to get near Yuki ever. He was lost to me. I couldn't compete to Tohru. 

Hatori sighed heavily and stood up, looking to the floor. He started to head to the door. I grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. I felt him tense up for a moment, and then he just stood there.I stopped and pulled back. 

 "Gomen, I didn't… I just… I…" I stammered. 

Hatori pulled me close, and whispered in my ear, "No, it is fine. We're the silent ones. I understand…"

How long had I wanted this? I just realized, Hatori had always been strong, always there. He was the clever kind one that received no recognition. He was the man in the shadows. I had wanted this all along. Somehow I felt, he did to.

I asked him the question, that I needed him to say yes to, "Are you glad it worked out this way, Tori?" 

_~~~~~Hatori~~~~_

Akito has died. I can't believe it. He is gone. The person I had spent so many long hours tending to, caring for, was gone. No one knew how he had cried on my shoulder many times, begging to not let him die. How he didn't want to be forgotten. Half of me wanted to slap him off, tell him he was a cruel nobody who deserved it. The other half pitied him. I cared for him though, in a strange way. Now he was gone.

I walked to his room, passing Haru, who looked miserable. I couldn't see him being that sad over Akito being loss, my guess was part of his feelings were due to Yuki looking so distraught, and Tohru-kun was the only one he was responding to.

I entered Akito's old room, it looked so empty. It never was a warm place, so you couldn't really say it appeared colder. The pink kimono was lying on his bed. I sat down and traced my finger over it and felt a tear slide down my face. I don't know why, but it hurt. It wasn't like loosing Kana, this was different. I felt more like I had lost a little brother.

"Hatori?"

I jerked my head up, Haru had entered the room. 

            He looked at me confused for a moment, then the confusion cleared. 

"It's not your fault, Tori-san"

            "Why do you think I think it's my fault?" I hadn't thought this for a moment.

            "You're the doctor, and you are the only one who cared for him, you know that." 

            I stood up with a sigh. Haru had missed the mark completely. He never was the brightest star in the sky. I started to head for the door, when Haru grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss. I stood there, unsure what exactly he thought he was doing. Haru quickly pulled back, his face a rosy color. Sputtering out apologies he started to back off.

I pulled him close to me, "no, it is fine. We're the silent ones. I understand…" I understood nothing, but wasn't this what I was supposed to say?

We're sitting outside, Haru sitting in front of me, leaning back. I wrapped my arms around him. I wasn't sure why, but it felt good to have him come to me. He was hurt and lonely from Yuki's constant snubbing. He needed me. I needed to be needed. That's why it hurt to lose Akito. I lost the person who needed me, rendering me useless. That's why I could survive without Kana, I had Akito when I lost her. That's why I couldn't blame him. I needed him as much as he needed me.

            "Are you glad it worked out this way, Tori?" Haru asked me.

            I continued to stare out at the sky. 

            "Hai."

The truth was…. I could care less who needed me.


End file.
